Louisiana news briefs

JPMorgan Chase donating $1M to worker training
BATON ROUGE (AP) — JPMorgan Chase is giving $1 million to Louisiana’s community and technical colleges, to help with workforce training efforts to match students to available jobs.
The donation, announced Tuesday, will be used to pay for training in high-demand skills training programs such as welding, pipefitting, electrical work and petroleum technology. It will serve as match funding to help the Louisiana Community and Technical College System draw down dollars from its share of a $40 million higher education incentive fund.
Schools have to work with private businesses to get a funding match of at least 20 percent to access money from the Workforce and Innovation for a Stronger Economy, or WISE, Fund.
Gov. Bobby Jindal and lawmakers created the WISE Fund to help fill high-need jobs, tied to projected workforce demand.

Shreveport officer admits buying teen son beer
SHREVEPORT (AP) — A 21-year veteran of the Shreveport Police Department, placed on administrative leave this month, has pleaded guilty to contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.
Sgt. Jason Brook faces up to six months in jail when sentenced next month by Judge David N. Matlock.
Brook admitted buying his 15-year-old son two beers at a Shreveport bar on Sept. 13 during a hearing Tuesday in Caddo Parish Juvenile Court.
His wife, Sgt. Kimberly Brook, who is also on administrative leave, was with him at the bar and appeared at the hearing. She faced the same charge as her husband, but her case was dismissed.

Festival International
names 2015 visual artist
LAFAYETTE (AP) — Festival International de Louisiane has tapped Troy Dugas for its official 2015 visual artist.
Organizers said Dugas has created a piece that captures the spirit and tradition of the largest, free Francophone festival.
Dugas’ work consists of collages made from vintage product labels that are shredded then arranged onto flat surfaces to produce artwork that appear woven. The Festival piece features colorful labels from okra, corn, rum and Belgium vegetables that incorporate the word “international,” French style green beans and French liquors — all elements that tie in Acadiana’s French cultural heritage.
The completed work will be unveiled at the Acadiana Center for the Arts during ArtWalk on Nov. 8.
Dugas’ design also will serve as the inspiration for the Festival’s official poster and cloisonné pin.

Baton Rouge home sales post slight drop in Sept.
BATON ROUGE (AP) — Home sales in metro Baton Rouge were down by 1 percent in September, despite increased sales in Ascension and Livingston parishes.
According to figures released Tuesday by the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors, there were 725 home sales that closed in September in the eight-parish area. That compares with 732 closed sales in September 2013.
The biggest monthly gainer was Ascension Parish, where sales were up 4.2 percent, from 143 to 149. Livingston Parish had a slightly smaller increase, going up 3.6 percent, from 140 to 145 closed sales during the month.
The median sales price for the metro area was up 5.9 percent from $169,900 to $180,000 last month.

Construction problems
at Plaquemine hospital
PLAQUEMINE (AP) — Iberville Parish President J. Mitchell Ourso told the parish council he is not pleased with some of the construction work being done on a $20 million medical facility.
Ourso will conduct another walk-through inspection before he signs off on the project’s completion.
Ourso says despite his displeasure with some of the “finishing touches” on the medical complex, currently under construction on a 27-acre site off La. 1 in Plaquemine, shouldn’t delay the project’s completion date or jack up building costs.

2 planning meetings set
for Baton Rouge lakes
BATON ROUGE (AP) — Two of four meetings to gather public input on the future of Baton Rouge lakes have been set for November and December with two additional meetings yet to be announced.
The Baton Rouge Area Foundation announced plans in March to start work on a master plan on how to address long-standing problems with the six lakes owned by LSU and the city-parish.
Created out of a former swamp in the 1930s, the lakes have been filling up with sediment from surrounding properties. That has resulted in water quality problems, including low levels of dissolved oxygen in the water as well as runoff from the interstate and the larger watershed.
The shallowness of the lakes has also limited fishing, boating and, if cleaned up enough, even swimming.

Thibodaux council approves update of zoning code
THIBODAUX (AP) — The Thibodaux City Council has approved an ordinance overhauling the city’s zoning codes.
In 2010, the city conducted a study on the viability and usefulness of its over 30-year-old zoning code. The study found that the code was outdated, vague and in need of a complete overhaul.
In the four years since, city officials have worked closely with local business owners, residents and third-party planning companies to update the code.
One of the main issues with the former zoning code was that certain areas of the city were not properly zoned.
Mayor’s Assistant Ryan Perque said Tuesday the city administration will hold two code training meetings on Oct. 29.

Sorrento chief misses town meeting, cites baby-sitting
SORRENTO (AP) — New Sorrento Police Chief Fern Barnett could not attend the Town Council’s last public forum before a Nov. 4 referendum that could eliminate her department, because she was busy baby-sitting.
Mayor Mike Lambert read a typed letter from Barnett Tuesday night, who apologized for not making the meeting. Barnett said in the letter she was already committed to babysit for her granddaughter.
Lambert says Barnett, who became the town’s police chief after two other candidates dropped out of the Nov. 4 election for the position, was sworn into office Tuesday.
Barnett will complete the unfinished term of former Police Chief Earl Theriot Jr. That could change, however, if town residents vote to abolish the police department and the position of police chief on Nov. 4.